Worldline construction of a covariant chiral kinetic theory
Here, we discuss a novel worldline framework for computations of the chiral magnetic effect (CME) in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. Starting from the fermion determinant in the QCD effective action, we show explicitly how its real part can be expressed as a supersymmetric worldline action of spinning, colored, Grassmannian particles in background fields. Restricting ourselves for simplicity to spinning particles, we demonstrate how their constrained Hamiltonian dynamics arises for both massless and massive particles. In a semiclassical limit, this gives rise to the covariant generalization of the Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi equation; the derivation of the corresponding Wong equations for colored particles is straightforward. In a previous paper [N. Mueller and R. Venugopalan, arXiv:1701.03331.], we outlined how Berry’s phase arises in a nonrelativistic adiabatic limit for massive particles. We extend the discussion here to systems with a finite chemical potential. We discuss a path integral formulation of the relative phase in the fermion determinant that places it on the same footing as the real part. We construct the corresponding anomalous worldline axial-vector current and show in detail how the chiral anomaly appears. Our work provides a systematic framework for a relativistic kinetic theory of chiral fermions in the fluctuating topological backgrounds that generate themore »
- Authors:
-
[1]
; [2]
- Heidelberg Univ. (Germany). Inst. for Theoretische Physik
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Dept. of Physics
- Publication Date:
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-114418-2017-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010; PRVDAQ; R&D Project: KB0301020; KB0301020; TRN: US1800583
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0012704
- Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review D
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 96; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Research Org:
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP) (SC-26)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1413921
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1373136